Motive For Murder
by Jewel1001
Summary: Jaden is horrified to discover that his friends are being killed one by one, and searches for a link. When he finds it, he realises that he's next. Spiritshipping. Light Angelshipping & Proshipping. Rated M for later. Warning: Character Death
1. Prologue

Hazeru - Another new fic! Couldn't resist.

Hera - This one's depressing, Hazeru.

Hazeru - I was in a sad mood. Anyway, hope you enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Prologue

Discovery

The brunette charged through the halls of Duel Academy. Being less than two months away from graduation, he didn't care about detentions or anything like that - not that he'd ever cared too much, anyway. He was on his way to meet up with a group of his friends and his lover. The two had plenty of time to themselves, of course, but that didn't stop either of them from hanging out with the gang regularly.

As a door opened, Jaden stopped running. He became vaguely aware that something wasn't right in the Academy, and began to think what he might have missed. Since their return from Dark World, everything had been relatively peaceful.

Until now.

Entering the room, the brunette could see police tape stretched across a wide area of the hall. There were policemen and paramedics all around, including the school nurse, Miss Fontaine, who looked pale and shocked. At her side was Alexis Rhodes, one of Jaden's friends. He stood behind the tape watching the scene. There were various onlookers around, so it took him a while to spot his friends. He rushed over to them once he saw them, immoderately coming to stand next to his lover.

Jesse's face was paler than usual and he automatically put one arm around the brunette and drew him close. Jaden looked up, puzzled, at his boyfriend. It took a lot to shake the bluenette so badly. What the hell had happened?

It was then that he noticed the group was significantly smaller than usual and, Jaden being Jaden, couldn't resist asking why - even though his friends that were there clearly didn't want to talk. That group consisted of himself, Jesse, Atticus Rhodes and Blair Flannigan. Atticus looked grave and pale and Blair looked like she might throw up. They all turned to Jaden, but it was Atticus who answered him.

"There's been a murder."

He paused to let this sink it, and was glared at icily by Jesse.

"There hasn't been a murder. It was probably his heart, you know how weak he was" the bluenette argued. "Jaden, they found Zane here this morning. He …"

"He …" Jaden prompted.

"Jaden, he's … Zane's dead, Jaden."

After running through the halls again with his two friends and his boyfriend following, Jaden threw open the doors of the Slifer cafeteria. Inside, as he had predicted, was a short, sobbing bluenette. Syrus was crying his heart out as he laid his head on Chazz Princeton's shoulder. The black haired boy looked as grave as ever but he had one arm wrapped around Syrus, and he was whispering to him, so that nobody else could hear. Jaden ignored that and walked past Hasselberry and Aster, who were sitting at another table, up to his oldest friend.

"Sy?" the brunette whispered, crouching down to be at the same level as his friend.

"He's gone … my brother's gone …"

Syrus could feel his heart breaking.

Zane hadn't come back with them after Dark World. It had been a while until he'd turned up and he hadn't been in good health. But he'd been okay, alive. Nobody, not even the doctors, had expected his heart to give out so soon.

Eight hours later, the whole gang was gathered in the Slifer canteen. Syrus was sitting next to Chazz, his head on the other's shoulder, and Chazz had one arm wrapped around the smaller boy protectively. Nobody dared to question this, not even Atticus, who was sitting with his head in his hands beside his sister.

Aster sat quivering in a corner, not allowing anyone to get near him. The gang was beginning to think that the rumours were true. There had been, for a long time now, rumours that Zane and Aster had been dating, though it was never confirmed. Now, it looked like it might have been true. Never had they seen Aster so hurt.

Jaden sat nestled beside Jesse, his heart pounding. He felt so sorry for Aster and Syrus that he could feel his heart aching with sympathy. He would miss Zane himself, of course. They had been great rivals. But Aster would miss him more. And, of course, his little brother.

"It didn't look like his heart gave out" Aster muttered, everyone immediately falling silent so they could hear him talk. "He had blood on him. It was on his chest, I know, but … I think he was shot."

Jaden knew then that Aster had found Zane dead.

No wonder he was so shaken!

"They didn't find a bullet" Alexis said softly.

"Or a gun" Jim said, just as softly.

"They were removed … it was done on purpose …" Aster mumbled.

Everyone fell silent, Jaden and Jesse both looking at Atticus.

Jaden was beginning to wonder.

There was no evidence to point to heart failure when the autopsy was done. Of course it was done at once. They had, however, put it down to either heart failure or suicide by gun shot. Not that any gun or bullet was recovered.

But Zane wasn't the type to commit suicide. Going down in a fight, that was Zane's style. He'd demonstrated that in Dark World. Fighting, yes. Suicide, no.

So did that mean …

Jaden shuddered.

Did that mean there was a murder at Duel Academy?

Hazeru - _No_! Zane's been murdered!

Hera - Actually, they don't know that for sure.

Hazeru - Poor Zane! What happened to him?

Hera - You'll have to update the story to let everyone know.

Hazeru - I'll get right on it! :)

Hera - She's a bit nervous about the deaths in this fic. Please R&R


	2. Chapter 1  Funeral

Hazeru - The funeral.

Hera - I can't believe you killed Zane.

Hazeru - I know, he was a good character.

Hera - So why did you kill him?

Hazeru - It'll make sense later. Enjoy the story!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 1

Funeral

Six days had passed since Duel Academy had learned of Zane Truesdale's death. Now, sitting on the island, was the funeral. Syrus, Zane's only family at the island, had requested that the funeral be held on Academy Island, because he knew Zane wouldn't have wanted to just be shipped off back home. The Truesdale family had come to the island for the funeral, and that was helping Syrus a little.

Now it was the funeral, and everyone was gathered in the halls.

The gang was there, of course. And everyone was dressed in black.

Jaden glared faintly at his suit. He hated the damn thing, black wasn't his first choice and he only put it on because Jesse forced him to. Jesse himself was, as ever else was, wearing a black suit. Alexis and Blair both had knee length black skirts and jackets, and carried black roses.

When the doors opened, everyone filed in, Aster and Syrus at the front. Syrus went to sit at the front along with his family and Aster, who everyone now knew had been dating Zane. Two days after his lover's death, Aster had been questioned by Alexis and Atticus, and he had confirmed that he and Zane had been together.

Everyone else sat together near the back, and when everyone else fell silent, so did they.

As the funeral went on, Jaden was surprised how many of his friends broke down. Syrus could be heard crying, even from the back. From his position, Jaden could see the tears gliding down Aster's face, though he was trying to hide them.

Hasselberry cried. Alexis and Blair cried. Atticus didn't, but his eyes got all watery and he closed them. Chazz didn't cry but he looked sick with pity - for Syrus, everyone assumed. Jim and Axel sat with blank looks on their faces but every so often would glance sympathetically at the others. Jesse wasn't crying but he looked very sad.

Jaden was surprised that he cried a lot.

He didn't like to show his tears to the world, but this time he couldn't help it. They came as naturally as breathing and he couldn't stop them. He leant against Jesse and his lover held him in a gentle embrace.

An hour later, the gang was gathered in the Obelisk dorm's main hall, along with the Truesdale family and some of the other students and teachers.

Syrus looked downright depressed. He was sitting in between Chazz and Jaden, paler than usual - which was a hard thing for Syrus - and crying. Jaden had one arm around his shoulders, Chazz had one arm around his waist.

Jesse and Alexis were sat a fair distance away from everyone else, along with Aster Phoenix. Aster couldn't stop the tears now, and he refused to show them to everyone, so he'd hidden in the back. Alexis had one arm around his shoulders and Jesse was speaking to him calmly, and together they were gradually calming him down.

But then Aster looked at Jesse with a serious look on his face.

"There's something going on at this school" he said in a low voice. "I'm being serious. Zane wouldn't commit suicide, we all know that. And I don't think his heart gave out. I did some research and the type of condition he had … it's obvious when the heart gives out."

"But if it wasn't his heart …"

"Jesse, Alexis, you have to listen to me. Zane was murdered" Aster said, more tears threatening to fall, but he refused to let them. "He was killed by somebody and that person might still be here."

"But who would've wanted to kill Zane?" Jesse asked.

"I don't know. Maybe he had enemies."

"We could always ask Syrus" Alexis muttered.

"I don't think bringing it up right now would do him any good" Jesse said.

Alexis and Aster both nodded.

"But Zane was killed. I'm sure of it. Call it pieced together evidence or call it intuition, whatever you want. I just know it."

"Aster …" the blonde began.

"I believe you."

They both looked at Jesse.

"You knew Zane better than anyone, from all you've told us" Jesse said. "And I'd … I would know if something happened to Jaden. So why wouldn't you know if something has happened to Zane?"

Aster just nodded.

"Tell the others. We might be in danger."

"I'll deal with that" Alexis said. "I'll tell the chancellor."

"Thanks, Alexis" Jesse said. "And you, Aster, it's time to come join everyone else."

"I don't want to."

"It'll do you some good."

After a bit of an argument, Aster was standing and talking with Jim, Jesse, Jaden, Chazz and Syrus. He mainly talked to Jim, though.

He was finding it hard to face Jaden and Jesse, who still looked like a happy couple even when they had sad looks on their faces.

And maybe in the future, Chazz and Syrus would have something special.

Aster was having a hard time thinking about anything but Zane right now. He was certain of two things.

One, he had loved Zane.

Two, Zane was murdered.

Hazeru - Sorry if this chapter was centred more around Aster, but it'll make sense later.

Hera - Aster's sure of the murder, and now Jesse and Alexis know.

Hazeru - Jesse believes him. He's got to be worried.

Hera - Must be. R&R please


	3. Chapter 2  Second Death

Hazeru - Here's the second chapter.

Hera - Another death?

Hazeru - The title, Hera?

Hera - Oh yeah. Enjoy this chapter, folks!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 2

Second Death

It was the day after Zane's funeral. Aster was sitting in his assigned room in the Obelisk dorm, refusing to speak to anyone. He was doing research on his computer and didn't want to be disturbed. Chazz and Syrus had spent more time together since Zane's death than they ever had before, and people were beginning to suspect something might be happening between him. This was fuelled by Syrus blushing whenever Chazz touched him, and the kind smiles that Chazz gave him, which he had never showed to anyone before.

Jaden and Jesse were getting back into their daily routine. The funeral was over, and though Jaden knew he would miss Zane, he also knew it was time for life to move on. They could mourn him, but Zane wouldn't have wanted them to all sit around moping forever. It was time to start classes again - not that Jaden ever attended many classes, and when he did it was usually just to be with his boyfriend.

Jaden and Jesse were walking towards their next class with Jim and Alexis. The four were talking of natural things - cards, teachers, love-lives, all the things they loved to talk about. They got to the door of the classroom and opened it up, realising they were the first there.

"This is a first" Jaden grinned. "I've never been early to a class before."

"But we're not early, Jay. We're about ten minutes late" Jesse said.

"So where is everyone?" Alexis asked. "Did _everyone _skip class?"

Before anyone could answer the confused blonde, there was a sudden high pitched shriek from behind them, and they all turned around to see a startled Doctor Crowler standing in the doorway.

"You four, out of here immediately" he insisted, hurrying up to them. "This classroom is off limits. If you'd been on time, you would have known that."

"Sorry, professor, we were running late" Alexis muttered.

"How come the class is off limits, anyway?" Jim questioned.

At his question, Crowler paled.

Everyone waited for the teacher to answer, and that was when Jaden suddenly spotted a boot hanging out from behind the teacher's desk.

It was then that they all noticed just how messed up the desk was, like there had been a struggle, papers tossed everywhere and the odd card lying on the floor. From their short distance away, Jaden recognised one of the cards. Volcanic something, he forgot the name of it - but he knew who it belonged to.

"Isn't that Axel's card?" he asked, hurrying over to it.

"Wait, Jaden!" Crowler called, but it was too late.

The brunette had walked over and picked up the card, and it was only then that he realised who the owner of the boot was.

"I-Is that …" Jaden stammered.

Lying behind the desk, eyes open wide and staring, was the deceased Axel Brody.

Jaden stood staring at the corpse, stunned. Zane had died, and now here was Axel, lying on the ground dead? What the hell was going on?

By now, the rest of the group, including Crowler, had come up behind the brunette and seen the body. Jesse wrapped one arm around Jaden's waist and the brunette leaned into the contact, still staring, horrified, at Axel. Crowler sighed.

"The experts are already on their way" he said. "We found him just before class, the poor teacher's in a flustered state. This is why we aren't letting any students in here, you see."

"Hey, what's that?" Jesse asked, spotting something in Axel's hand.

Everyone followed the bluenette's gaze, expecting to see a card or something similar in the dead boy's hand. But instead, clutched in Axel's grasp, was a necklace.

Jaden studied the necklace carefully, nobody daring to move it from the dead boy's hand, knowing it would be used as evidence later. The necklace had a thin silver chain with a circular, dark grey stone hung on the chain. It was clutched in his grasp as if he had been holding it tightly before he had died. But why would Axel have had a necklace in the first place?

A few hours later, Jaden and Jesse sat with Jim, Alexis, Chazz, Syrus and Aster, who had come out of his dorm when he'd heard about Axel's death.

Jim, who had stayed behind with the body and the experts when everyone else went off in shock, told them the details.

"So he was choked?" Alexis said in a shocked voice.

"Strangled. From the marks on his neck, by the same necklace he was holding" Jim said in a low, dangerous voice. "That's why he had it, mates. He must have been trying to get it off him."

"But who could have been strong enough to kill Axel?" Jesse asked.

"You got me, mate. I have no idea" Jim shrugged. "But I aim to find out."

"It was the same person who killed Zane" Aster said angrily. "It must have been. It's too soon after to be a coincidence. Zane was murdered, and so was Axel!"

"Aster …"

"You can't …"

"He's right, you know" Jesse muttered, and everyone turned to look at him. "Deaths don't happen like that. Just think. No weapon was found with Zane, but he was shot. No fingerprints or anything were found on the necklace, but it was used to strangle Axel. You think that's two suicides?"

"Well, it sure isn't accidents" Jaden put in.

"It's murder" Aster said, and this time everyone nodded.

Two deaths so close together could only mean trouble, and was it even surprising that it was two of their gang that had died? Trouble just seemed to love them, and now it was worse trouble than ever before. Through various incidents they had all suffered, but now two people were dead. Axel and Zane were never going to be seen again, and they had been murdered.

Something very strange was going on at Duel Academy.

Hazeru - Oh no! Axel's been murdered!

Hera - That's two dead already.

Hazeru - Hope to update either later tonight or tomorrow.

Hera - R&R please, we like to know what you think :)


	4. Chapter 3  Investigation

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - We hope you enjoy.

Hazeru - It's all going to kick off soon.

Hera - You say that like Zane and Axel's deaths aren't important!

Hazeru - Oh trust me, they were. Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 3

Investigation

It had been three days since they had discovered the dead body of Axel. With two of their friends gone, the gang was worried. One person, perhaps. Two was more than suspicious, especially when one had been strangled. It all pointed to murder, and that was what they were convinced of.

There was a killer at Duel Academy.

The gang didn't go to Axel's funeral. His family held it back at his home with a small, family only funeral, and the gang remained at the school, paying their respects to their dead friend, and also to Zane, in one way - by finding out who was their killer.

Jaden was in the school library - a place he avoided at all costs. What use were books he didn't read? Jaden had never been into reading, but this was different. At first he'd thought about computer research, but Aster was already doing that, so he might as well hit the books.

Of course he didn't go alone. Jesse, Jim and Blair accompanied him.

"You guys check out the books" Jaden said to them. "I'm gonna go into the back and look at some of the ancient scrolls."

They agreed to text every so often just to be sure everything was okay.

There were over fifty ancient scrolls carefully packed in the back of the school's library. How a school managed to end up with probably valuable scrolls, Jaden didn't know, but he wasn't complaining. He began searching through all the ones he thought might give him a lead, but he wasn't finding anything helpful.

Jim turned to Jesse as soon as Blair was occupied elsewhere.

"Jess, how are you and Jaden doing?"

"We're not bad. You?"

"Not too great, if I'm honest, mate" Jim said sadly. "Axel and I were pretty close, good friends. And Aster's all cut up over Zane."

"Syrus isn't look too good either."

"At least he's got Chazz to comfort him, mate."

"There is that" Jesse laughed.

It had become a widely spread rumour that Chazz and Syrus had been spotted kissing by Blair. When questioned, Chazz looked angry and Syrus blushed. In other words, they were too embarrassed to admit it was true, even when it was.

"Think we're going to find anything, Jim?"

"I don't know. I hope so, mate, we have to try."

Jesse nodded as Blair came over to them with a huge pile of books. The two males raised their eyebrows at each other in despair, but split the book pile into three, and the three of them began to study.

Jaden was having no luck with the scrolls. He had picked up many interesting facts, all the scrolls being strictly non-fiction, but he hadn't found anything that would help him.

"How does something about the Egyptian pharaohs help me find out who killed my friends?" Jaden muttered in despair, tossing another scroll aside.

Jesse texted him them to tell him that they were giving up on the books and that he was going to Aster's dorm room to see if he had come up with anything. Jaden sent an agreeing text back and got back to the scrolls he was studying, but he had no more luck than he'd had before. Either he couldn't understand them or they had pointless information he didn't need.

The brunette was just about to give up and stomp after his friends, when he suddenly spotted one last scroll in the back. It wasn't yellowed with age, so it had to be relatively new. Not an ancient scroll, but a more modern one. It could have some more modern facts in it, then.

Jaden pulled the scroll out and rolled it out a little, and saw what appeared to be a title.

_**It Never Forgets**_

The brunette's eyes widened and he took a seat, rolling out the scroll a little more to read what information it contained.

Hazeru - What could be in the scroll?

Hera - And is it wise to leave Jaden alone in the library?

Hazeru - Find out next chapter :)

Hera - R&R please


	5. Chapter 4  It Never Forgets

Hazeru - So here's another chapter of Motive For Murder.

Hera - In this chapter, Jaden will read the scroll.

Hazeru - It's mostly just the story in the scroll, but please read it.

Hera - It's important for later.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 4

It Never Forgets

Jaden looked at the scroll intently, wondering if it would help. It was dated about ten years ago. So it had been written only ten years ago? That was really new for a scroll. The title of the scroll was a bit strange for being factual. _It Never Forgets_. He was curious about what it meant, and started to read.

_One century ago, there was a young duellist in her first year here at Duel Academy._

Duel Academy? It was set at the school? Jaden was puzzled. The scroll was like a story, but it was a non-fiction story. He read on.

_This girl was tall in height, with dark purple hair and bright blue eyes, and considered quite attractive by the males in her class. But this duellist was a terrible duellist. She had scarcely passed her entrance exam and had not won a single duel since she had enrolled in the Academy. She was considered the poorest student in the Slifer Red dorm. Her name was Vanessa Rightly. _

Not a single duel? _The poor girl_, Jaden thought. And she was a Slifer, just like him! He couldn't resist reading more now. The name wasn't at all familiar to him, though.

_Vanessa Rightly was gifted with the precious gift of being able to see the spirits of Duel Monsters. She had a very strong bond with her cards, and although she never had a single human friend at the school, she always had her cards. _

Jaden smiled softly, knowing what it was like to have a strong bond with your cards, although he had actual human friends as well.

_On March 5__th__ of her first year at the school, Vanessa Rightly got into a fight with some Obelisk students. They forced her into an unfair five-on-one duel and she lost. The other students tossed the girl into the deepest part of the ocean surrounding Duel Academy, in harsh waves. _

_What a bunch of bullies_, Jaden thought to himself.

_Some other students heard the commotion and rushed to the scene of the incident. They pulled Vanessa Rightly out of the ocean and took her to the school infirmary, where it was learned that she was in good health. However, whilst in the water, her cards had fallen out of her duel disk and sunk to the bottom of the ocean. The weather was bad and there was no chance of them still being there. Vanessa Rightly was distraught when she learned her cards were gone. _

Jaden couldn't imagine what it would be like to know your cards had been swept out into the ocean, that you'd never see them again. He read on.

_Nobody knew of her reaction until the next morning, when the door of the Slifer showers would not open. The students called for the teachers and the head of the Slifer dorm picked the lock. Inside the floor was coated in blood. Vanessa Rightly lay in the corner under a shower with blood pouring from both of her slit wrists. To this day it is thought that Vanessa Rightly was so upset over the loss of her cards that she took her own life. It was Duel Academy's first suicide. _

Jaden gasped. Vanessa had killed herself?

It may or may not be helpful, but he had almost forgot about his murdered friends - but he would feel guilty about it later.

For now, he had to tell Jesse about the scroll!

Hazeru - I don't ever remember hearing about a suicide at Duel Academy, so I invented one!

Hera - She may be wrong but she isn't caring too much about that.

Hazeru - I just care about the story getting done.

Hera - We hope to update again soon. R&R please


	6. Chapter 5  This Has To Stop

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - The plot is thickening.

Hazeru - ...okay, Hera. Anyway, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 5

This Has To Stop

Jaden was at the front of the library, story the scroll had just told him swimming all around his head, when he noticed something from under one of the computer desks. The mouse of the computer was swinging on its cord off the table, carelessly hanging. Most people would have kept walking, but Jaden had an eye for anything of a special colour - and that colour was, of course, red.

And there was red liquid seeping out from under that desk.

It was such a small amount in view that it could have just been ink, but Jaden's instincts told him to be careful. He knew what it was even before he got close enough to smell the metallic scent of blood.

There were chairs surrounding the desk so that nothing but that liquid could be viewed unless you actually knocked them out of the way. With a gasp, Jaden hurled a few of them across the room and ducked his head under the desk.

Lying crumpled underneath that desk, in a pool of his own blood, was a familiar Obelisk student.

Jaden gasped and started running from the room, sweat poring down his forehead as he ran faster than he ever had in his life.

He ran all the way to the Obelisk dorms, where he found who he needed to see.

Aster and Jesse both stared at the panting brunette, whose face was as pale as a sheet and his hands were shaking violently. They asked what was wrong and the brunette answered only when Jesse brought him into his arms. Jaden could only speak in a shocked whisper.

"They got Atticus …"

An hour later in the Slifer canteen. Jaden was lying against Jesse's chest, not looking at anyone. He hadn't seen Zane's body. Axel hadn't looked too terrible for being dead. But now Jaden had seen true horror. He had discovered the dead, bled out body of Atticus Rhodes.

Alexis was currently in Jim's arms, with Syrus holding her hand.

Nobody was sure if Jim was just a natural comforter or if Alexis had feelings for him, but she was calmed a little when he held her. It wasn't that Syrus and Alexis were particularly close. It was just that they had both lost a brother and were both angry and upset by it.

"Who? Who could have done this?" the crying blonde whispered.

"Somebody who has a grudge against us" Chazz hissed.

"Do you think it's my fault?" Jaden said softly to his boyfriend. "Around here it usually is. I'm a magnet for trouble! I'll bet whoever it is did this to try to get to me …"

"Jaden, shh!" Jesse whispered, holding the brunette tightly. "Don't blame yourself for this, Jay. This isn't duelling. This is murder."

"And I doubt this has anything to do with you Jaden" Aster said quietly, and he sighed and smiled sadly. "That's a first."

Jesse glared at him vaguely but was preoccupied with his scared boyfriend, so decided not to bother saying anything sarcastic back, as he usually would.

"Atticus wasn't going to kill himself" Aster said, his serious side coming back. "This only proves that this is murder."

That was true. Atticus' body had by now been taken away and it was painfully obvious that he had died when somebody had used a blade to slit his throat.

"This has to stop. We have to do something" Aster insisted.

"Oh yeah? Like what?" Chazz growled.

"I don't know. Anyone got anything to share?"

Jaden lifted his head.

"I do" he said, and they all turned to him. "I don't know if it'll help. It's just … something I found."

Jaden told them all the story of Vanessa Rightly, and those who didn't find it creepy or pathetic at least found it interesting and it took their minds off Zane, Axel and Atticus. Jaden told them everything he could remember about the dead girl, her cards and her suicide, and he told it like a story, just as he'd read.

The gang all agreed that it was strange to find what seemed like a story in the non-fiction section of the library. But it was fact, just told in story form.

"What was the name of the scroll?" Aster whispered.

He had become paler as the story had been told, and now he asked this.

"It Never Forgets" Jaden answered.

Aster stood and left the room, leaving the gang to sit around and wonder what was so important about it that Aster had left.

Hazeru - Oh no! Atticus is dead! I feel so bad about killing him!

Hera - You should!

Hazeru - And what does Aster know that he hasn't told anyone?

Hera - R&R please!


	7. Chapter 6  There's A Part Two

Hazeru - Now we find out a little more about what Aster knows.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 6

There's A Part Two

Half an hour later, a still stressed brunette was phoned by Aster. Jaden was given the message to come to his dorm room and to bring only one person with him. Of course that person was Jesse, and the two set off, reaching the dorm quickly because they didn't want to walk leisurely around an island where people were being killed.

They knocked on the door and Aster let them in. He looked better now, but still stressed out.

"What's going on, Aster?"

"Listen up, Jaden. That scroll you found … what you read is just the first part of that story."

"But it wasn't fiction. It was fact …"

"And the second part is so nonsensical that it was listed as fiction!" Aster growled.

"Huh?" the other two wondered.

"It's all true, though. I think I know who's behind the murders but … you aren't going to believe me, so just read the second scroll."

"I went through all the scrolls" Jaden said.

"Not in the fiction section, you didn't. That's what this is listed as" Aster told them, picking up another modern scroll. "Except that from what you've told us from the other scroll, and from the evidence we have from the murders, this second part isn't fiction. It's fact. It's all _fact_!"

"Chill, Aster."

"Just read it!" Aster growled, shoving in in their faces.

The two sat down and stared at the scroll for a few moments, before Jesse dared to roll it out a little so they could read the title.

_**It Never Forgives**_

"Aster … where did you find this?" Jaden whispered.

Aster looked down and sighed softly.

"I found it ages ago" he said quietly. "Zane and I read it together. We thought it was pretty stupid at the time, a story, but now I see … it's real."

"Where did you get it, though? The library?"

"Yeah. But we didn't ever return it, we kept it here."

Aster suddenly froze and spoke to them through gritted teeth.

"It was stolen the day after Zane died, and then I found it … well, you know how I went to help Jim clean out Axel's room after he died?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, I found it in Axel's room" Aster said. "I don't know why he had it, but he had obviously read it. And he said he'd read all the factual scrolls. He must have read it all, maybe he knew … that's why she got him."

"Why _who _got him?" Jesse hissed.

Aster sighed.

"Just read the scroll."

Hazeru - Sorry for the short chapter.

Hera - R&R please


	8. Chapter 7  It Nevers Forgives

Hazeru - Now we can read the second scroll.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 7

It Never Forgives

Jaden and Jesse glanced at each other and then Jaden shook his head.

"I've already read one of these, Jess. Lots of them, in fact" he said, handing it over to his boyfriend. "You read it out loud."

"Sure" Jesse said softly.

He rolled out the scroll and read out loud what it said.

_Years after the suicide of Vanessa Rightly, her cards were recovered in the form of a full deck. The cards, each one identical to hers, were used by a new duellist. It is said that her deck will somehow find its way back to Duel Academy in every generation. And when it does, disaster occurs. _

Jaden raised one eyebrow, confused. This was fact? This seemed more like a story than what he'd read.

_In every incident of the deck returning to the island, it has been beaten by at least one other student's deck. If the deck is beaten by another deck, then the person who won that duel will soon die._

Jesse paused slightly, silently reading another few lines. Jaden urged him to continue reading out loud and he did.

_The legend says that if she witnesses her deck being defeated, the bloodied ghost of Vanessa Rightly will appear and destroy the person who took down her deck. It is said that each duellist which wields her deck is protected by Vanessa Rightly herself. If that person is beaten in a duel while using the same deck as Vanessa Rightly did, the person who beat them in that duel will soon die._

Jesse rolled the scroll back up. That was all there was to read.

But it had been enough.

Jaden and Jesse both looked questioningly at Aster, who shrugged.

"I thought you'd want to see it."

Jaden nodded and then looked puzzled. Jesse grabbed his hand and the brunette couldn't help but clutch onto his boyfriend. He felt safe when Jesse was with him.

"It was the same girl" Jaden whispered. "Vanessa Rightly."

"You think a ghost's behind the murders?" Jesse asked, not quite believing the idea but not completely casting it aside.

"I don't know what else it could be" Aster said. "But I suggest we go to the library and do some computer research."

Jesse nodded.

"We'll get Chazz and Syrus, too" he said. "Syrus is on the warpath. He wants to get whoever killed Zane."

"What about Alexis?" Aster asked.

"Nah, she's still too cut up over Atticus" Jesse said, and that was when they both realised Jaden had gone quiet.

"You okay, sweetheart?" Jesse whispered.

"If there really is a link, Jess … if she's who's killing them … then it could be somebody that almost everyone on the island has beat in a duel" Jaden stammered. "If it is her, everyone here could be in danger."

"But there's never been any deaths here" Aster muttered. "I did research. There's no recorded student deaths. But that scroll said it happened before."

"We should ask Chancellor Shepherd" Jesse said.

"Yeah, that's our best bet" Jaden nodded.

The three boys stood up and left Aster's dorm, to find the chancellor and get explanations, and to find their friends to help them get to the bottom of the murders.

Hazeru - So, they know what's causing the murders.

Hera - But how do they stop it?

Hazeru - And who is it that has the same deck as the dead girl?

Hera - R&R please


	9. Chapter 8  Passwords And Codes

Hazeru - Next chapter's up!

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 8

Passwords And Codes

"What do you mean, _accidents_?" Jaden growled.

The startled chancellor rubbed his temples in irritation. Why did they have to come here on the day he had a splitting headache. Damn it, this was too important just to leave hanging.

"That's all we ever thought they were" Chancellor Shepherd told the three boys in front of him. "There were knives, ropes in trees. One in the shower. We thought it was suicide or accidents."

"Over ten students and the thought of murder never once crossed your mind?"

"And you didn't put it in the school's records?"

"It would make the school look bad" the chancellor muttered.

"Did you ever think that Vanessa Rightly might have actually had something to do with this?" Jesse hissed. "This is no ghost story. This is a serious problem!"

"I am aware." The chancellor sighed. "I can help you."

He offered to give them the computer passwords which would allow files to show that were normally blocked, and it would take the most skilled hacker to actually get into them. But the passwords and codes were now being given to Jaden, Jesse and Aster as a gift. But why?

"There are, of course, files on Vanessa Rightly online" the chancellor told them. "We banned them but they can be found in hidden sites, and you can use those codes to access the forbidden sites. Maybe they can help you."

An hour and a half later, the three sat in the library with Chazz, who was pretty good with computers, and wanted to get to the bottom of the murders. He had so far listened to the story of the ghost girl and was willing to help. He and Aster between them got onto a website and looked at it.

"Any pictures of her?" Jaden asked.

"Not yet, but that doesn't mean there aren't any" Aster muttered.

"It says here that she killed herself after losing her deck and that she comes back to kill the people who defeat her deck in the future. That her spirit never left the school" Chazz read out loud. "That sounds like pretty much just what you told me."

"So we're right about her story, anyway."

"Hey, guys, it's a picture!" Aster gasped, everyone crowding around the computer screen eagerly.

The girl was tall and of slender build. Her bust was impressive but hidden under a loose shirt. In the picture she looked about seventeen but was not wearing the school uniform. It said underneath the image _Vanessa Rightly, deceased_. It was her.

Her features were slender but kind. Her long hair was a dark purple, slightly spiked, and her eyes were a bright shade of blue.

The girl in the picture was no killer. She was young, beautiful, innocent.

Vanessa Rightly. Were the stories true? The picture?

Everyone studied it carefully, all having second thoughts, but all of them knowing that looks can be deceiving.

It was then that Jesse gasped and everyone turned to look questioningly at him. In answer, he tapped his finger against the image. They all frowned in confusion, but then Aster realised. He turned to Jesse and nodded.

Chazz and Jaden still looked a bit confused.

"Her necklace" Aster whispered.

Everyone stared at the necklace in horror.

The necklace was a thin silver chain, on which hung a circular grey stone.

It was, without doubt, the same necklace that had been found clutched in Axel's dead hand.

Hazeru - The same necklace!

Hera - R&R please


	10. Chapter 9  Disappearance And Disaster

Hazeru - Here we are, chapter nine!

Hera - Enjoy, everyone!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 9

Disappearance And Disaster

The door was broken down at last. One unused room at the end of a hall in Duel Academy had been used by the police recently to keep evidence in. Which was why Aster, Chazz, Jaden and Jesse were there.

The necklace that was in Axel's hand when he was found dead was kept in that locked room, and they had to see it to make sure that it was the same necklace. There could be no mistakes about it.

As the four ran into the room, they began looking at all the evidence that was there. They had broken in, so obviously shouldn't be there, but none of them could care about it.

"Check everywhere" Aster ordered, everyone splitting up and searching around.

After a few unsuccessful minutes of searching the other three heard Jesse call for them. They all ran running to him and saw that he was holding an small cardboard box, its lid missing.

"What's up, Jess?" Jaden asked, slipping his hand into the bluenette's.

"What do you want first, the good news or the bad news?"

"Good news" the brunette replied instantly.

"The good news is that this is the box the police put that necklace in."

"And the bad?" Chazz muttered.

"The box is empty" Jesse answered, tossing him the empty cardboard box.

"Shit" Aster growled angrily.

An hour later, the three sat in the canteen at the Slifer dorm, everyone worried. The necklace had disappeared. They had told Shepherd who had turned quite pale on hearing the news and knew that it was not a decision made by him - or the police, who would have informed him.

Aster had a laptop on the table, tapping ferociously at the keys and trying to work out what was going on by searching up more on Vanessa Rightly. But he was finding nothing that they didn't already know.

Chazz was tucked away in a corner, drinking water - or so he said, though the others suspected vodka - and texting Syrus.

Jaden was cuddled up with Jesse, both of them using their phones to search the web for more information on Duel Academy's history, but neither of them could find anything about any suicides or murders.

Vanessa Rightly seemed to have been wiped from the public's view of the academy, and all the deaths afterward. The deaths that the four men in the Slifer canteen suspected she was causing.

Everything was calm and quiet in the room, with the exception of the tapping keyboard keys and the gluging sound of Chazz drinking.

All that was interrupted, though, when Chazz took another drink and then started gasping.

The other three looked over worriedly as Chazz got to his feet, stumbled and grabbed onto the table for support.

"Chazz? What's going on?"

"You okay?"

"Say something!"

"I … I can't …"

Chazz started making choking noises, like he wasn't breathing right.

Jaden and Jesse stared at each other in horror while Aster grabbed Chazz's glass, and sniffed the contents.

There was no smell of alcohol, but there was something different about it. It wasn't alcohol but it wasn't water either. Well, it was. But not just water.

"It's been poisoned!" Aster gasped.

Chazz couldn't react to that because his face was slowly turning unhealthy colours, and when he looked over at them he screamed.

He raised one shaking hand and pointed at the corner behind the brunette.

Everyone turned, Jesse pulling Jaden behind him instinctively, to face an empty corner.

"What's up? There's nothing there!"

"_Can't you see her_?" Chazz screamed.

And then he gasped one last time and collapsed to the ground.

Hazeru - She got Chazz!

Hera - R&R please


	11. Chapter 10  Pieces Of The Puzzle

Hazeru - Another chapter!

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 10

Pieces Of The Puzzle

"How could he have been poisoned, Aster?" Jaden grumbled. "There was nobody in the room but us. We would've seen something."

"Jaden, you heard him shout. He could see her. We didn't, but that means she can appear to specific people. The ones she kills can see her as they die!" Aster cried, starting to work things out. "Nobody saw Zane die. Or Axel, or Atticus. But we all saw Chazz."

It was the day after Chazz had been poisoned with an unknown substance. The body had been taken away and the funeral was being planned.

It was surely a day for funerals, because the gang had just come from the sad funeral of Atticus Rhodes. Alexis was crying into Jim's shoulder. Syrus and Aster sat close together, both of them having experienced the same thing: losing the one they loved. Syrus admitted now that he loved Chazz, and it had been a shock to him when Jesse and Jaden had told them of his sad death.

Jaden had had to spend all night holding his friend in his arms while he cried, feeling sick with pity for him. Jaden didn't even want to imagine how painful it would be to him if Jesse died. How Syrus was feeling.

Now, they were in the Slifer canteen, none of them really talking, but Aster and Jaden were debating what was going on.

"It's Vanessa Rightly. I'm sure of it" Jaden said softly.

"It doesn't explain while Axel had the necklace in his grip" Aster muttered. "But if she left it by accident then maybe she came back for it. That would explain why it's gone now."

"I can maybe help you with that" Jim said.

"You can?" Jaden asked, puzzled.

"Sure. You see, I was the first one to find Axel's body. I was walking by the classroom with Shirley, and I heard some choking noises from inside" the Australian told them, everyone nodding to show they understood. "I opened the door to check, and saw this mysterious aura floating around. It disappeared really quickly, I didn't get a good look at it, but it was almost like I'd intruded. Like it was being caught in the act."

"Maybe it was" Jesse said. "It was her. Vanessa. Her ghost was there, using the necklace to strangle Axel, and when you came in, she had to disappear quick."

"So she didn't have time to grab the necklace without Jim noticing her!" Aster gasped, having pieced it all together.

Vanessa Rightly had been killing Axel when Jim walked in on it. She had to disappear immediately so as not to be noticed, and in doing so, had left her necklace behind. She had then come back for it afterwards.

Jaden, Jesse and Aster left for Aster's dorm to do some final research, Syrus joining them because he greatly wanted to avenge Chazz. Alexis turned down the offer to join them because she was still too cut up over her brother's death, and was going to go with Jim and Hasselberry on a fossil dig.

"We're almost at the bottom of this. We know who did it and why" Aster grinned.

"Right, we know _who _did it. Vanessa Rightly's ghost" Jaden said. "But Aster, we don't know why she did it yet!"

"_I _do. And I'll tell you" Aster said triumphantly.

"Tell us, then."

"Okay" Aster said. "She's doing it because Zane, Atticus and Chazz have all beat someone in a duel. Whoever has Vanessa Rightly's deck has had their deck beaten by Zane and Atticus and Chazz. They defeated that deck, and so Vanessa's ghost killed all three of them."

"What about Axel?" Jesse wondered.

"See, I don't think Axel was killed because he beat the deck" Aster said. "Axel was killed because he knew too much."

The other three looked at him in confusion.

"Just think about it" Aster said. "Axel had read every factual scroll, right? He must have read the first half of her story. And he stole the second half of the scroll from me and Zane. He must have read that, too. If Axel had pieced it all together, he must have known what she would do to other people. Zane had already died. If he was planning to let everyone know about her, Vanessa would have killed him before he could warn Atticus and Chazz and whoever else is her next victim."

The other three froze.

What Aster said made sense.

Axel was killed because he knew too much. Zane, Atticus and Chazz were killed because they've beaten Vanessa Rightly's deck.

The only thing they had to find out was who on the island had her deck.

Hazeru - This chapter was mainly to explain it a little, hope it helped.

Hera - More will be revealed next chapter, don't worry.

Hazeru - But who will have the deck? Any guesses?

Hera - R&R please


	12. Chapter 11  The Deck

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - We're getting closer to knowing whose deck it is.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 11

The Deck

Jaden was seated at a computer trying to uncover more files about Vanessa Rightly's deck, but he had little computer skills, and so he wasn't getting very far. Jesse was helping him to crack some codes, but even between them, it was taking hours to crack a single code.

Aster, sat at the next computer, was having a little more luck. He had located a website about Vanessa Rightly's personal history, including her history at the school. He was certain that it would contain at least something about the type of deck the murderous girl had used.

Until they knew which deck she'd used, there was no knowing who'd be the next victim. Who else had beaten that deck? It was impossible to know until they knew what deck it was!

Jaden and Jesse, however, had given up on the computer research and were trynig to narrow it down.

"Well, she couldn't have used my deck, because Chazz never beat me" Jaden said. "I never got beat by Atticus, either."

"Zane and I have never finished a duel, there's no telling who'd have won" Jesse said thoughtfully. "So it can't be my deck either."

Here the two exchanged a small, pleased smile. Both duellists had a very close bond with their cards and wouldn't have liked a killer like Vanessa Rightly to have every used the cards. It was neither of them, though.

"They've never beat Aster either" Jaden threw in. "So it couldn't be his deck."

"Couldn't be Syrus" Jesse added. "He's never beat Zane."

"Or Atticus, or Chazz, that I know of" Jaden mused.

"So who the hell was it?"

"Hasselberry's deck? Dinosaurs can be common. Or Alexis' deck? Or Blair's? Maybe Jim's deck?" Jaden listed.

"Hey, you two, will you shut up and give me a hand, here!" Aster snapped, causing the two to shut up and sit either side of the blue eyed computer hacker.

"How you doing over here, Aster?" Jaden asked.

"Two more codes to crack, but I need to know more about Duel Academy" Aster told him. "It's like a pop quiz! What sort of protection system is this?"

"One Shepherd and Crowler set up" Jaden muttered, Jesse rolling his eyes.

Aster cracked one more code and then got stuck.

"Damn it, I need another number. Eight digits. This could take a while" he muttered.

Aster's fingers typed furiously at the number keys on the keyboard, all the digits flying through the boxes and none of them matching. The silver haired boy growled softly at the computer.

_Zane died because of this bitch. I'm not going to let her beat me_, Aster thought.

Jaden and Jesse were talking quietly, neither daring to interfere with Aster, who looked like he was getting ready to kill someone.

Jaden lay softly against his boyfriend, his head resting in the crook of Jesse's neck. He wrapped his arms loosely around the bluenette and closed his eyes, half in content and half in vague thought of the murders.

Jesse wrapped his arms around the brunette's waist and held onto him protectively. He was protective of Jaden as a matter of instinct, because Jaden was the innocent one of the two, the slightly younger one, and weaker than Jesse in body. Of course, they both knew that Jaden's inner strength couldn't be matched by anyone's. Jaden enjoyed the attention Jesse gave him and was happy enough to let him protect him, but when it really matted, Jaden knew that he had a stronger determination.

Not to mention that he nearly always won in their duels, which was what really mattered to him.

"Eureka!" Aster cried suddenly.

"Eh … Aster?" Jaden muttered, pulling away from the bluenette slightly so they could both stare at their friend.

"I've cracked the code! It's downloading the images of all the cards in her deck!" Aster said smugly, publicly proud of himself.

Jaden rolled his eyes and Jesse muttered his congratulations. Aster could sure get annoying sometimes.

But hey, he probably deserved the praise this time. He had cracked the code.

There was a small beep from the computer, indicating that it was down downloading the files.

The three gathered around the screen and Aster smiled at them confidently before clicking to view the files.

The images of the deck opened up.

Aster started to flick through the cards, and suddenly Jaden let out a gasp.

"I … I know whose … deck that is!" he stammered.

"You do?"

"It looks kinda familiar" Jesse agreed.

"So, whose deck, Jaden?" Aster persisted.

"The deck. It belongs to …"

Hazeru - Whose deck is it?

Hera - Find out next chapter. R&R please


	13. Chapter 12  Blue Eyes

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Sorry for the cliffhanger last chapter, she couldn't resist!

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 12

Blue Eyes

The three started running towards the Slifer canteen. Their hearts were pounding furiously, not from the physical strain of running the distance at record speed but instead out of fear. They had worked it all out, now.

They stopped outside the door of the canteen, none of them quite daring to open the door and confront who they knew would be inside. Alone, hopefully.

Aster let his pale hand rest of the doorknob, turning to look at the other two for confirmation to enter.

Jaden nodded once, his eyes focused on the door.

Jesse nodded as well, and wrapped one arm protectively around Jaden's shoulders.

Jaden was, after all, the next victim.

Aster turned the knob and opened the door, him and the other two boys entering the room quickly, slamming the door behind them.

Two people were in the canteen, sitting close together at a table.

Syrus Truesdale and Alexis Rhodes seemed to be reminiscing about their deceased brothers, and Jaden felt horrible to disturb them now. But this was a serious issue.

And Syrus was right there.

Jaden broke away from Jesse and ran to his short friend, grabbing Syrus by the arm and pulling him up, away from the shocked blonde girl.

"Jaden?" Alexis asked.

"What's going on, Jay?" Syrus squeaked.

Jaden shoved Syrus behind him, looking at the girl timidly.

"It's you, Alexis" he whispered.

Alexis raised one eyebrow.

"What do you mean, Jaden?" she asked. "What's me?"

Aster and Jesse came up beside Jaden, one either side of the brunette, and Jesse put one arm around his waist. Syrus moved to stand next to Aster, quite confused. He had been talking to Alexis quite normally until now.

"It's your deck, Alexis" Jaden said. "That girl, Vanessa Rightly, we saw her deck. The cards she used are the exact same cards that you use, Alexis!"

"It's your deck that's she protecting" Aster said in a low voice. "Anyone who's beaten you in a duel is going to get killed."

"And Jaden's beat you more than once" Jesse growled, his voice protective.

Jaden stiffened slightly at his boyfriend's words.

"Atticus, Zane, Chazz … they've all beat you. That's why they died. Vanessa Rightly's protecting her deck. _Your _deck" Jaden continued.

"Jaden, this is ridiculous. Nobody uses my deck but me."

"Alexis, your cards are the same as hers. She's going after anyone that's beat you!"

"Including Jaden."

"Give us your deck, Alexis" Aster said.

"What?" ALexis gasped.

"Your deck. I'm really sorry, Alexis, but if we get rid of the cards she'll stop protecting them and killing people!" Jesse hissed, his own words tearing a hole in his heart. He hated the very idea of taking someone's cards away from them. But it really was the only way.

As long as Alexis had her deck, Vanessa Rightly would protect those cards.

Alexis Rhodes and Vanessa Rightly had the same deck.

It was her deck that was causing the problems, the deaths. Including the death of her own brother, Atticus.

"Give us the cards, Alexis" Jaden whispered.

But Alexis didn't move, and then she suddenly started to laugh.

A shadow came up behind Alexis Rhodes, one that had no recognisable physical form, and washed over the blonde girl. It wasn't a dramatic effect, really - as soon as the shadow had come, it had gone.

"Alexis?" Jesse asked.

The blonde girl was still chuckling quietly.

Until he spoke, when her laughed turned into loud cackles.

Her voice sounded strange. It was somehow different.

Jaden tried one last time.

"Lex?" he whispered.

And Alexis lifted her head to rest her eyes upon the Slifer.

The four boys facing her gasped.

Alexis' eyes were no longer their calm, hazel colour.

They were a sharp blue.

Hazeru - Yes, it's Alexis. Surprised?

Hera - And Alexis' eyes changed colour!

Hazeru - Anyone know what's happened? Who else has blue eyes?

Hera - Who isn't Aster. R&R please!


	14. Chapter 13  Transformation

Hazeru - Hey, guys. I wanted to post this yesterday, but for some reason I couldn't upload it :(

Hera - Sorry for the wait, guys.

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 13

Transformation

The four stared in absolute terror at the girl's blue eyes, so out of place on Alexis. Before any of them could say anything, though, they witnessed something that was even more strange.

The roots of the girl's hair slowly began to change colour. The four boys watched as the new colour spread from the roots of her hair to the rest of it, spreading like a sudden dye, turning it a dark purple.

Syrus looked puzzled, but the other three were in shock. Purple hair in contrast to blue eyes. She looked like the living image of Vanessa Rightly.

But she wasn't done yet.

She turned her hands so that her palms faced the boys, her arms otherwise relaxed by her side. They were a little puzzled, and indeed Aster opened his mouth to say something, but was once again caught by a sight that forced the boys to be quiet.

Alexis slowly began to bleed from both wrists.

There was a cut on each of her pale wrists, each one now with a steady flow of blood. The bleeding was unnatural, but it was there. Alexis closed her hands into fists and stood perfectly motionless, watching them.

Aster gripped Syrus' shoulder, as the short bluenette looked ready to faint. Syrus was having trouble with the sight of so much blood and closed his eyes tight, but Aster didn't look away from the purple haired girl.

Jesse pushed Jaden slightly behind him. For once, the brunette didn't protest that Jesse was being overprotective of him. The two boys kept a tight grip on each other's hands, neither willing to take their eyes off their friend, who was no longer their friend.

That shadow, that ghost, the transformation of their friend into what they saw now, a bleeding, silent figure …

Jaden realised that it wasn't Alexis.

It might have been her body, but the girl facing them was not Alexis Rhodes.

The shadow they had seen was the spirit of the deceased Vanessa Rightly, and she had taken over Alexis' body. Vanessa Rightly had possessed Alexis. She now had a physical form!

"What do you want?" Aster growled, finally finding his voice.

Vanessa Rightly, or Alexis, glanced at him and her lips spread into a wide smile, one that held no joy, only hatred and pain.

"To kill those who made my cards suffer" the girl answered plainly. Her voice was like ice cutting into even colder ice, if that was even possible.

And without another word, the girl opened her hands to show two shiny blades.

Razor blades. Small, sharp, murderous blades that she had used to slit her own wrists years before. She held them now in her - in Alexis' - hands.

Nobody could react in time.

Before anyone could even register the fact, she had lunged straight for Jaden Yuki.

Frozen in fear, Jaden couldn't even move.

But Jesse could, and he pushed Jaden away just as the girl's extended hand, complete with razor blade, went for him.

Jaden tumbled back a bit, landing on the ground beside Aster's legs, looking up at Jesse and Alexis.

So he had a perfect view of what happened to his boyfriend.

Jesse had got he brunette out of the way, but there wasn't time for himself to get out of the way.

Jaden gasped in terror as he saw the blade in Alexis' hand sink deeply into Jesse's neck.

The bluenette fell to the ground, blood flowing from the cut on his throat, motionless.

Hazeru - Nooo! Jesse!

Hera - R&R please


	15. Chapter 14  Solved

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, the fic's nearly done.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 14

Solved

Aster pulled the frozen brunette to his feet, keeping a tight grip of Jaden's arm so he wouldn't collapse. The three boys stared at the bluenette on the ground but only Jaden was staring so intently at him that he could notice one simple thing that made his heart beat faster - the bluenette's chest was still rising and falling. Jesse's breathing was uneven but it was there. Although, unless he got medical attention soon, it soon wouldn't be there at all.

Jaden managed to look away from the bluenette long enough to see Vanessa Rightly lunge at him again, but this time he was thinking on his feet, and he jumped out of the way - purposely away from Aster and Syrus, knowing she would follow him.

Syrus screamed out the brunette's name while Aster fell to his knees beside Jesse. He may not be particularly close to the bluenette, but there was no way he was letting him die. Not at her hands.

Aster pulled off his trademark silver suit jacket and pressed it firmly against the bluenette's neck. Jesse's breathing was fading. The cut on his neck was small but there was no telling how deep it was. There wasn't much time.

Syrus, meanwhile, watched Jaden.

Jaden was standing on one side of a table, the murderous girl on the other side, both staring intently at each other, neither one daring to even blink.

"Why are you doing this?" Jaden asked quietly.

"You have hurt the cards, Jaden Yuki" the icy voice replied. "I cannot allow you to live to harm them again."

"Beating them in a duel isn't hurting them!" Jaden cried, desperately trying to calm her down. She'd kill him otherwise.

"Silence" she whispered, before reaching out with one sharp razor blade again.

Jaden jumped back quickly, although he wasn't completely quick enough - the blade struck him across the arm. He gasped a little at the sting, but he knew it wasn't bad. He had been wearing his usual long sleeved black shirt and his Slifer jacket over it, so there were two layers to stop the blade, leaving only a small scratch on the skin of the brunette.

The girl had stopped and was just staring at him. She stood perfectly still, and he was able to see a white haze around her neck. He focused on it long enough to see what appeared there appear - a necklace. A thin silver chain on which hung a circular, dark grey stone.

The necklace from the picture. The necklace found in Axel's dead hand. It was on her neck now. It really was her, and she had completed the image.

The two stared at each other. Jaden had hurt her deck more than once, and the girl was getting a sick pleasure from watching him stand there tensely, trapped. She knew the other two were too busy either being terrified or looking after the injured bluenette to try to hurt her, not that they'd have dared. Look what she had just did to their friend.

Honestly. She had done away with Axel because he knew too much, and now the bluenette who had protected Jaden. What a pointless sacrifice, she was going to get Jaden Yuki. If she wanted him dead, he would die.

Unknown to Vanessa Rightly, Aster Phoenix was sitting behind her, his mind working it all out fully.

Vanessa Rightly was a spirit, and spirits couldn't just hang around in the open air for all those years. He knew that her spirit had to actually have somewhere to live. She was inside of Alexis now, but she hadn't been until minutes ago. Where had she been all the time then?

And then it struck Aster.

The cards were the link between Vanessa Rightly and Alexis Rhodes. The _cards_.

Suddenly, he knew how to end it.

Hazeru - How do you end it?

Hera - That's for the next chapter.

Hazeru - And is Jesse going to make it?

Hera - R&R please


	16. Chapter 15  Spirits Of The Cards

Hazeru - This chapter may be a little confusing, bear with me :)

Hera - We tried to make it understandable. Maybe she's just easily confused.

Hazeru - Enjoy the chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 15

Spirits Of The Cards

"Jaden!" Aster called, not waiting for a response before he continued. "It's the cards! Her spirit's in the cards!"

"What?" Jaden gasped, noticing the way the girl's eyes flicked with rage.

"Her spirit's been living in the cards all this time, Jaden!" Aster shouted. "Destroy her deck! She'll die with the cards!"

Vanessa Rightly growled, her voice reaching a pitch that caused Syrus to put his hands over his ears to prevent the sound damaging his hearing.

She was so angry. That pestering human had foiled her. But it didn't really matter. She would still have revenge on those who hurt her spirits.

Unfortunately for her, she was forgetting just how close Jaden Yuki was to _his _cards. And he knew how to use them.

Without waiting for any reaction or replying to his friend, the brunette activated his duel disk. Vanessa Rightly looked at him angrily, darting over the table at him.

She was surprise that he was ready for her, sliding under the table as he drew a card. He got to his feet, placing that card on his duel disk.

"I summon Elemental Hero Neos!" he called.

The monster appeared in front of him. It was transparent, though - just a spirit.

"Take her down!" he shouted, meaning something different than what he usually did in a duel.

Neos went forward and grabbed the girl's arms, causing her to let out a surprised, angry gasp. How was a mere spirit holding her?

Jaden grinned as his plan worked. His suspicions were right.

Vanessa Rightly may have possessed Alexis, but as long as she was using her own hair and eyes and bleeding from her own wrists, the body had changed. The girl's figure was slightly smaller and wider. Her whole form had changed, hugely in some places and slightly in others.

Aster and Syrus stared in confusion as Vanessa Rightly began to struggle against an invisible force, as if something was holding her there and she couldn't escape from it's grasp. Whatever that thing was, it had a grip on his wrists, because the blood wasn't falling onto the floor any more, and no matter how much she tried, she couldn't twist around to cut it.

Neither of them could see spirits, so they couldn't see Neos, but they had heard Jaden speak, and both of them guessed correctly.

Jaden approached the girl and heard her scream at him, desperately trying to break free of the monster that held her still, but she had made a huge error - she had possessed Alexis and made that body _hers_. She couldn't change back into her own spirit form, and although spirits could disappear, humans couldn't. But all she was, technically, was a spirit in another's body, so she could be held by a spirit. She was partly a ghost and partly real, and she had mixed herself into that. She had given the boy she faced the upper hand. She was both spirit _and _human, and she'd made herself vulnerable to both.

It was all very complicated, but Jaden had a close bond with his cards, and he could understand.

He almost felt sorry for her, trying to protect her cards, but she had taken it too far. And no matter how much he felt sorry for her, he could never forgive her for killing his friends and possibly his boyfriend.

He moved quickly, seeing that Neos was having a tough time holding her still. She had her deck in her deck box, as Alexis always did, tucked away.

Jaden grabbed the deck and held it gingerly in his hands. This deck was Alexis' deck. His friend's deck. But also Vanessa Rightly's.

Jaden knew that he was always going to feel guilty for this. He had never hurt a card intentionally, and he'd thought he never would. But this was different.

He moved away and picked up one of the candles that was burning in the room, it being evening and dark.

Vanessa Rightly screamed and struggled, Neos tightening his grip on her to the point of great pain.

But then she stopped screaming, as Jaden Yuki used the flame of the candle to set her deck alight.

Hazeru - Jaden's set fire to her deck!

Hera - Is this the end of the madness? Or does she have another trick up her sleeve?

Hazeru - And Jesse's still bleeding ...

Hera - R&R please


	17. Chapter 16  So Close

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - What's going to happen?

Hazeru - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 16

So Close

The deck went up in flames, and Jaden - because he could see spirits - heard the spirits of the cards crying out in pain as they died. In a normal situation he would never have dreamed of doing this, but now was different. If he didn't do it, then she would go on killing in the different generations. Once again, it had all been put on Jaden Yuki to do the right thing.

Vanessa Rightly had gone limp, Neos having minimal pressure on her writs now. She just stared with pure hatred at the brunette who stood next to the smoky remains of her much loved cards.

She knew there was no way to revive them, but there was one way to avenge them - kill Jaden Yuki.

Aster and Syrus, and Jaden, were staring at her in confusion. Her spirit lived in the deck and the deck was destroyed. Why was she still here?

Out of instinct to protect them - as he'd been doing basically since he got to Duel Academy - Jaden moved to stand in front of his friends and unconscious boyfriend. Syrus stood not far behind him, Aster still knelt on the ground trying to ease the flow of blood from Jesse's throat.

Vanessa Rightly was still alive, though. How?

A horrible realisation dawned on Jaden.

If Alexis used the same deck as Rightly, and could be transformed into, then maybe Alexis wasn't actually possessed - no she wasn't.

Alexis _was _Vanessa Rightly now.

Now that the deck was gone, there wasn't any place for Vanessa Rightly's spirit to go, and so she was forever trapped inside Alexis. Alexis was gone, now, in favour of the murderous girl.

Alexis Rhodes had been replaced by Vanessa Rightly.

Her deck was gone but her mission - to kill all who harmed it - was still in operation, and she was determined to finish the job. Vanessa Rightly struggled and quickly got out of Neos' grip, immediately kicking at the spirit to make sure he wasn't going to be able to hold her down again, and she then began running.

She ran at Jaden from a distance, blinded by rage, the clear blue of her eyes seeing only red.

Aster and Syrus simultaneously cried out the brunette's name in fear. Vanessa was still carrying those two sharp little blades, and she had broken free of Neos. She was at a distance, but by the time Jaden summoned a monster and it appeared, it would be too late.

There was no way to stop her.

The girl reached out with one hand, blade pointed outwards towards the brunette, already picturing Jaden's blood pouring from his throat, where she aimed to slice. Not a little cut like the one Jesse had, a proper, fatal cut.

He couldn't jump out of the way. If he did, she would end up cutting Syrus, who was stood behind Jaden, and there was no way that Jaden was letting any more of his friends get her by this maniac.

But the blade was so close to his neck and there was no time to think.

Hazeru - Oh dear, how's Jaden going to get himself out of this one?

Hera - Sorry the chapter's a bit short.

Hazeru - Find out next chapter what's gonna happen to them!

Hera - R&R please


	18. Chapter 17  No Other Way

Hazeru - Here's another chapter, we're almost done.

Hera - Enjoy, guys!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 17

No Other Way

Jaden didn't think about his actions, he just acted on instinct. He refused to move an inch - that would put him out of harm's way but let her attack Syrus head on and he wasn't about to let that happen.

So Jaden acted on instinct and let his body move without thinking.

As Vanessa Rightly went for his throat with the blade extended, he grabbed her wrist.

Then he twisted her arm back roughly, causing the shiny blade, still in her grasp, to move with her hand.

It wasn't intentional that her hand that held the extended sharp blade came into contact with her own throat.

As Jaden twisted her arm, he accidentally forced her to press the blade deep into the skin of her throat, and when he gasped as he saw the first spots of blood he threw the arm away from himself, causing her to slide the blade clear across her throat.

Vanessa Rightly had slit her own throat when Jaden had twisted her arm, and she hadn't even meant it, and neither had Jaden.

There was the softest gurgling sound from the staggering figure and then she fell to the ground, her own blood spreading out beneath her.

Her bleeding had been fatal immediately. Unlike Jesse's neck wound, her cut was very deep and long, meaning that no medical treatment in the world could save her.

Jaden stared, speechless, at the purple haired, bloody dead girl that had once been his good friend Alexis Rhodes.

_What have I done? _Jaden yelled in his head. _I killed her! There might have been a way to get Alexis back and now there isn't because she's dead and … it was my fault!_

Jaden wanted to scream or maybe even to cry - something that he just didn't do. But he didn't get the chance for that, because Aster recovered from the bloodied corpse on the ground quicker than Jaden did.

"Jaden, we have to get Jesse to the nurse, he's bleeding out fast!"

No matter how shocked Jaden was, the news of any one of his friends, particularly Jesse, dying - well, it was enough to make him come to his senses enough to get to his feet and walk around the bloodied girl on the floor.

Jesse was pale and his breathing wasn't visible. Aster placed two of his fingers on Jesse's pale wrist and then looked up at the brunette standing over them.

"It's weak, Jay" he said quietly, meaning the bluenette's pulse. "But it's there."

Aster dragged the bluenette up and draped one arm around his shoulders, waiting until Jaden did the same with Jesse's other arm, and then they began to walk out of the room, Syrus following them, shaking like a leaf.

Aster had had a hard childhood and although he was shaken, he was used to hiding his emotions, and so he appeared almost totally calm. He would let it all out later, when nobody could see him.

Syrus was visibly shaking and looked like he was going to throw up.

Jaden's face was expressionless and he refused to say a word, just helping Aster to take his boyfriend to the infirmary. Neither Aster nor Syrus dared to try to make Jaden talk.

Eventually, they reached the infirmary, and Miss Fontaine took Jesse into another room, making the other three boys wait outside for her.

Jaden was shaking a little now, his head on his knees, refusing to look at his friends.

Eventually - having had enough of it - Aster forced the brunette to look at him.

"You didn't mean it, Jaden. And it had to be done anyway."

Jaden looked up at him wordlessly.

"Jaden, that wasn't Alexis. That was Vanessa Rightly. She killed Alexis herself when she took over her body" Aster said firmly, making the brunette look at him. "Her spirit was in the cards and she went into Alexis' body and took over her. She got mad when you burned the cards and she attacked you, so you had to do something or she would have killed you. And probably us, too!"

Aster loathed giving stupid speeches like this, but Jaden needed it, and for the love of God he wasn't going to sit here and watch the brunette wallow in pity and unneeded guilt. No way.

"She wasn't Alexis. The person that died was Vanessa Rightly. If anything, Jaden, you _avenged _Alexis!"

With that, Aster got up and walked away, grabbing Syrus' arm - much to the short bluenette's protests - and dragged him away. He knew that Syrus would try to talk to Jaden, and he also knew that Jaden didn't want to talk.

Jaden sat still, letting his friend's words sink in. He had killed Vanessa Rightly, who had already killed Alexis - and Zane, Axel, Atticus and Chazz. Not to mention what she had done to Jesse!

Jaden looked up at the closed door and got to his feet, pacing around a little. Was Jesse going to be okay?

After a long wait, the door of the infirmary opened and Miss Fontaine stepped out.

"Well, Miss Fontaine?" Jaden whispered.

"The cut wasn't terribly deep even though it was large" the nurse said to him. "He's in a stable condition for now, but there's no telling how long it will last."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

Miss Fontaine looked at the worried, stunned brunette in front of her, and opened her mouth to talk, so that she could tell him about his boyfriend's condition.

Hazeru - 0.0 Alexis is dead, too!

Hera - Vanessa Rightly took over her and wouldn't leave, and Jaden killed her.

Hazeru - Will Jaden be okay? And what about Jesse?

Hera - R&R please


	19. Chapter 18  Recovering

Hazeru - Here's another chapter.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 18

Recovering

There was a pain in his neck, searing through his veins and it hurt like Hell. Jesse weakly opened his eyes and then snapped them shut again, the brightness of the room blinding him after being unconscious for so long. It had been hours since he had been in the Slifer canteen. What had happened?

He retraced his steps in his memory. They had confronted Alexis and she had been possessed by Vanessa Rightly. She had been carrying blades. She had gone for Jaden, but he had jumped in front of her …

She must have cut him. But … if he fell unconscious then, was she still there?

What had happened to Jaden?

Jesse opened his eyes properly, and this time he saw not just brightness, but a blurry figure standing over him, whispering his name.

"You awake, Jess?" the voice said. "Come on, your eyes opened!"

A voice that Jesse would know anywhere.

"Jaden?" he asked, his voice hoarse and dry, and it almost hurt to talk.

Jesse's eyes adjusted to the light properly and let him see Jaden hovering over him. When his eyes focused he smiled up at the other boy.

Seeing his boyfriend's smile, Jaden let out a small sigh of relief and sat down next to him on the bed, carefully so as not to hurt him.

"You're okay" Jesse whispered.

Jaden looked at him, confused, but then realised that Jesse wouldn't know what had happened after Vanessa Rightly had cut him.

"I'm fine. You saved me, Jesse" Jaden whispered, taking the bluenette's hand. "That was a really stupid thing you did, bro. Promise me you won't ever do something like that again!"

Jesse rolled his eyes. Promise not to put himself on the line for Jaden? No way.

Jaden didn't even bother to pursue that path, it would end in an argument about who should be protecting who, and that was an argument that just couldn't be won by either of them.

"What happened?" Jesse asked after a while.

Jaden told him the full story, about how he had burned the haunted cards and how she had completely taken over Alexis with no sign of return for the poor blonde. He shivered as he told Jesse that he had turned the blade away from himself and, purely coincidentally, slit Vanessa Rightly's throat.

Jesse was quiet for a long time after he heard the full story. He was taking in the many facts of the story.

Vanessa Rightly and her deck. The poor spirits of the cards that he wished he could have helped. Alexis. All the others who had died, Zane, Axel, Atticus, Chazz. Of the people who were suffering, like Syrus and Aster, and the dead people's families. The Rhodes family in particular, having lost both their children.

Jesse looked up at Jaden, who looked uncomfortable. Of course, the brunette would blame himself. He always did. Jaden wanted to save the world, he had the weight of the world on his shoulders. But he couldn't save everyone, although he damn near did, every time. This time, though, it wasn't the usual battle. At least he had managed to claim victory in the end, albeit in a way he didn't want to.

Jesse tightened his grip on the brunette's fingers.

"Jaden" he said firmly. "You did the right thing. No way Alexis would have wanted that bitch to have her body. You did us all a favour, Jay."

Jaden smiled weakly at his boyfriend, leaning forward to give him a tender kiss.

Jesse applied a good amount of pressure onto his boyfriend's lips, feeling Jaden smirk against his own. Jesse wanted to go further but he knew in his condition it would be impossible. It would only cause him pain, and as much as it may not bother him, Jaden would never agree to it.

The two spent some time kissing until Jaden told his bluenette boyfriend that he needed to rest. Rolling his eyes but too weak to argue, Jesse gently punched Jaden on the shoulder and said he'd do as he was told - just this once. That made the brunette blush a little, but as he laid down and closed his eyes, his boyfriend smiled at him.

Jaden watched his sleeping love and thought about it.

He hadn't killed Alexis. It wasn't his fault. He had killed Vanessa Rightly, though. Was it okay to kill when she was a murdered herself?

But he had avenged his friends. Zane, a great rival. Axel, a friend and a worthy opponent. Atticus, a fun loving, party animal and a good duellist. Chazz, his oldest rival and one of his greatest friends, despite their love-hate relationship.

And Alexis, a friend of his from practically day one.

Jaden closed his eyes. He would think on it all later, when he wasn't still recovering from the whole incident. He and Jesse would have a proper conversational when the bluenette was better. When they were up to talking about it, he'd talk to Aster and Syrus, too.

Jaden laid down on the bed next to his boyfriend, making sure he wasn't going to touch the bluenette's neck. He closed his eyes, not trying to sleep, but just enjoying the peaceful half-darkness.

But after the day's incidents, he was exhausted, physically and emotionally. He didn't need to look for sleep. Sleep found him.

Hazeru - It's true, I don't have the heart to kill Jesse off here. Not after so many others :(

Hera - Is Jaden going to be okay?

Hazeru - He's accepting it, but it's hard.

Hera - R&R please


	20. Chapter 19  Hero Again

Hazeru - Here's the last actual chapter. Epilogue, anyone?

Hera - Calm down. Enjoy this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Chapter 19

Hero Again

"At least my brother's been avenged" Syrus said, feeling Hasselberry's hand rest on his shoulder. "And Chazz."

Evening had fell. Aster and Syrus had just finished telling their friends the truth about what had happened, and some very horrified, some had laughed a little. Jim looked downcast over the death of Alexis, and Aster was sitting with him. The ins and outs of their relationship was a mystery to everyone, but it didn't matter so much.

Aster was glad that Zane had been avenged. Was it what he would have wanted? Aster wasn't sure. But he was sure Zane wouldn't have wanted more people dying because of the bitch.

Syrus still had tears running down his cheeks even though he was trying to smile. In some ways Syrus had suffered the most. He had lost his older brother, and just when their relationship had been getting better. And he had also lost his lover - nobody was sure if he and Chazz ever got that far, but Syrus had now admitted that they were together after Zane's death.

The Rhodes family were to be sympathised with, for certain. First Atticus and now Alexis. Both their children had died, and all because of the spirit of a desperately unhappy girl.

"We should tell people about this, you know" Jim said, breaking the silence that had fallen over them. "Tell people not to mess around with another person's deck, that something like this could happen again."

Everyone went very still.

Happen again? Yes, there was a slim chance that it could. Very slim, but still, the chance was there. And that was enough to make them determined to stop it from ever happening again.

Would their story get off the island? Yes.

Would their story be believed? Doubtful.

But they could try.

The gang were sitting talking about how messing with someone's deck could lead to a disaster - in this case, one as big as murder. They had been talking for only a few minutes when the door opened and Jaden Yuki walked into the room.

Predictably, Syrus and Hasselberry launched themselves at him, the brunette nearly flying back out the door at the force of them.

The other two sat down when Jaden managed to get free and lean against the wall.

He wasn't saying anything on purpose. He didn't want to offer excuses or arguments - he just wanted them to lay into him, to yell at him, as he expected them too. He had killed Alexis … sort of.

But instead, they all smiled at him.

"Well, there's no end to your talents, huh?" Blair grinned, simpering a little.

"…Come again?" Jaden asked, puzzled.

"We don't blame you, Jay" Jim said pleasantly. "You got rid of that ghost for what she did to all our friends, and for taking over Alexis."

"Yeah, but I …"

"No buts, Sarge" Hasselberry said with a grin.

Nobody in that room could beat Jaden Yuki in a duel - even Aster couldn't now. So they were damn well going to beat him in this argument.

"It wasn't your fault, Jaden" Syrus said calmly, another tear falling. "She deserved all she got."

"There should have been another way" Jaden said.

"There wasn't."

Aster laid one hand on the brunette's shoulder.

"How's Jesse?" he asked.

"He's okay. Miss Fontaine said she's keeping him in the infirmary for a while, but he's gonna be alright."

"That's good, then" Hasselberry said.

"Yeah."

"Well, who'd have thought it" Jim said, mostly light-heartedly. "You saved us all again, Jaden."

"Playing hero again?" Blair said teasingly, causing most of the others to raise one eyebrow at her - why did she flirt with him, when it was so obvious that his heart belonged to Jesse Andersen?

"You bet" Jaden grinned.

Jaden looked at all his friends. The people who had suffered. And who would no longer have to suffer because of Vanessa Rightly.

With a soft smile, he raised his hand and gave them his usual salute.

"That's game!"

Hazeru - Only the epilogue to go. Will try to post it soon if that's what people want.

Hera - R&R please


	21. Epilogue  New Start

Hazeru - This is the epilogue, and so the end.

Hera - Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh! GX

Epilogue

New Start

The sun was setting slowly, a soft breeze blowing over the island. From their position on the roof of Duel Academy, the two teenagers could watch the sun going down and casting an orange glow over the island.

Jaden lay his head on Jesse's shoulder and sighed gently. Jesse kept one arm around the brunette's waist and looked out at the setting sun. Watching the sun set was Jesse's idea - the scenery was his interest, not Jaden's. Still, Jesse had been in the infirmary for a while, and this was the first time they'd been out alone together. Jaden had been happy to just go along with what Jesse wanted.

"It's good to have you back" Jaden said gently, his eyes closed.

"Good to be back, Jay" the bluenette smiled. "You've no idea how boring it gets just sitting in the infirmary doing nothing."

Jaden grinned.

"Been there, done it" he reasoned.

Jesse shook his head fondly at his boyfriend and bent his head over to press his lips gently against Jaden's forehead. The brunette opened his eyes as soon as Jesse's lips left his skin and he reached up to press his own lips against Jesse's. With a slight chuckle, Jesse kissed back passionately. When the bluenette applied more pressure to his lips, Jaden only pushed back with double the force.

The two broke apart when the need for air grew, and Jaden laid one last kiss against the bluenette's nose. Then he laid on Jesse's chest.

"Your neck's all better, right?" the brunette asked again.

"Yeah, it's cool" Jesse reassured him.

"I still feel really bad about that" Jaden muttered.

Jesse lifted one finger and pressed it to Jaden's lips.

"No more apologies, Jay" Jesse said softly, tired of hearing them. "Anyway, I'd do it again. And don't yell at me this time."

Jaden frowned at his boyfriend and folded his arms.

"I don't yell at you. If anything, _you _yell at _me_!"

Jesse rolled his eyes and turned back to watch the sun going down, although it seemed to not have moved since he had last looked. It had moved, ever so slightly, but not enough that the bluenette could tell.

A silence fell between them, not entirely comfortable. Jaden lifted his head to look at the scratch on the bluenette's neck. The one that would be a permanent scar, and also a reminded. Jesse shifted a bit so that his collar hid the scar, when he saw Jaden looking at it.

"She's gone for good" the brunette said, out of nowhere, it seemed. "Her spirit was in the cards, and then it went into Alexis. She could only possess her because they had the same cards. Without Alexis or the deck, her spirit had no choice but to actually pass away and die."

"I know, Jay" the bluenette said, smiling gently at his boyfriend. "It's all over now, and you did the right thing by … you know."

Jaden nodded.

Another silence, totally uncomfortable this time, fell over them. It was broken only when Jaden looked up at Jesse with a smile on his face.

"You know something, Jess? I had a dream last night."

"Hmm?"

"It was … don't laugh, right?"

Jesse mimed crossing his heart and smiled at the brunette, who pulled away from him a little so he could look his boyfriend in the eye.

"It was really dark. Like there was nothing there. Except for people" Jaden said, folding his arms and looking out at the sun. It was beautiful, not that he had ever really paid that much attention. "I was only half there, if you know what I mean."

Jesse raised one eyebrow to show Jaden that he had to elaborate.

"It was like I was there, but only for a minute and then I'd be gone again. But the others were there to stay."

"What others?" Jesse asked.

"Alexis. Chazz and Axel and Zane. Atticus" Jaden listed.

Jesse frowned slightly. All the people who had died?

"It was like this was where they are now. And I was … visiting? I dunno. Anyway, I was just sort of floating around there, and it was like they all knew what had happened and they just sort of looked at me. When they talked, it was all at the same time. That bit was kind of creepy."

"What did they say?" Jesse asked, genuinely interested.

Jaden grinned at the bluenette.

"They said thanks."

Jaden moved so he could lean against the other once again and he felt Jesse's arms wrap around his waist and pull him closer.

Jaden's dream had been a little strange, he had to admit. It was like his friends were almost telling him they appreciated it.

Of course, it was only a dream, made out of memories and Jaden's own unconscious imagination. But to him, it was enough to help him let go of the remaining guilt that he still had about the whole ordeal.

He had done the right thing by killing Vanessa Rightly. She would never kill another innocent person again.

His friends were gone, but they were avenged, and mourned on the island.

And Jaden knew that the people who had loved them would get over their sorrow and move on with their lives, though they would never forget.

Jaden pressed himself against his boyfriend protectively, wrapping his arms around him.

At least he had managed to stay alive. And he still had the person he loved.

And the two duellists watched the sun go down, its routine action marking not only the end of another day, but also the beginning of a new start for them. A life with a few friends less but with closer bonds, and the two knew that they all had a part to play.

The guilt had more or less passed and it was time to move on.

They could do that.

Just so long as they were together.

Hazeru - That's the end of Motive For Murder. Thank you for reading!

Hera - R&R please


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